Padel rules explained: serve, walls and golden point

Almost every argument on a padel court starts the same way: "was that in?". The ball hit the fence, the serve clipped the net, someone hit it from outside the court. This guide explains the rules of padel with that kind of play in mind: the serve in detail, what is allowed with the walls and the fence, how a match is scored and how the golden point works. The rules follow the International Padel Federation (FIP) regulations; in a friendly match, the most important thing is to agree beforehand on the points each club settles its own way.

The basics in one minute

Padel is almost always played in pairs, on a 20 by 10 metre court enclosed by walls and metal fencing, with a net across the middle that is 88 centimetres high at the centre. The aim is to make the ball bounce on your opponents' floor so they cannot return it before it bounces a second time. The walls are part of the game, but on one condition: floor first, wall second.

The serve, step by step

The serve is the most argued-over shot because several conditions have to be met at the same time:

• Position. You serve from behind the service line, between the centre line and the side wall on your side. You may not step on either line as you hit.
• The bounce first. Before hitting it, you drop the ball and let it bounce on the floor, inside that area.
• The height. You strike it at waist height or below. A serve above the waist, as in tennis, is a fault.
• Your feet. When you hit, you must have at least one foot on the ground; serving while jumping or running is not allowed.
• The direction. The ball crosses diagonally and must bounce inside the opposite service box. A ball that bounces on the line of the box is good.

You get two attempts per point. If you miss both, it is a double fault and the point goes to the receiving pair.

Doubtful serves

• It touches the net and lands in the box. The serve is replayed (a let), and it does not count as a fault.
• It touches the net, lands in, then hits the fence. It is a fault, not a let.
• It bounces in the box and hits the back or side glass. It is good and play continues.
• It bounces in the box and hits the metal fence directly. It is a fault.
• The receiver was not ready. The serve is replayed, as long as they did not try to return it.

The receiver must let the ball bounce: the return can never be volleyed. After the return, any player may volley whenever they like.

The walls, explained

The golden rule of the walls is the order: the ball must bounce first on the floor of the opposite side. After that bounce, it may hit one or more walls on that side and stays in play. What it may not do is bounce twice on the floor before you return it.

In practice, that means:

• You can wait for the rebound off the wall. You let the ball bounce, hit the glass and come back to you at a comfortable height. It is the basis of defence in padel.
• You can use your own wall to return it. If the ball gets past you, you can hit it against your own wall so it heads to the net and over to the other side. That shot is called a contrapared.
• You cannot send the ball straight into the opponents' wall. If your shot hits the wall or fence on the other side without bouncing on their floor first, you lose the point.

The metal fence

The fence is also part of the court, but it rebounds differently: the ball comes off slower and on strange paths. The most common situations:

• It bounces on the opponents' floor and hits the fence. It stays in play. The opponent may return it if they reach it.
• It hits the opponents' fence without bouncing first. Point lost for whoever hit it, just as with the glass.
• It gets stuck in the fence after bouncing. As a general rule, the point goes to whoever hit it, because the opponent can no longer play it.
• It hits a corner or the join between glass and fence. It stays in play even though the bounce is unpredictable. It is bad luck, not a void play.

Leaving the court and other odd plays

Many courts have doors on either side of the net. If the ball bounces on your side and leaves the court over the wall or through the door, you may go out to chase it and return it from outside, provided the court allows it and the ball has not touched the ground outside.

Other plays worth being clear about:

• The ceiling and the lights. On indoor courts, if your shot touches the ceiling or a lamp, you normally lose the point. Some clubs have their own local rule: ask before you start.
• The ball hits your body. If the ball touches any player before the rally is over, that pair loses the point.
• Touching the net. If you, your clothing or your racket touch the net or the posts while the ball is in play, you lose the point.
• Double hit. The ball may only be hit once per side. If you hit it twice, or you and your partner hit it one after the other, the point is lost.

How a match is scored

Padel uses tennis scoring. The points in each game go 15, 30, 40 and game. If both pairs reach 40, it is deuce and, under the traditional system, you have to win two points in a row: the first gives the advantage and the second closes the game.

A set is won with 6 games and a two-game lead. At 6-6 a tie-break is played: the first pair to reach 7 points with a two-point lead wins, and the pairs change ends every six points. Matches are usually best of three sets; at retas and amateur tournaments it is common to replace the third set with a super tie-break to 10 points.

Pairs change ends when the total number of games in the set is odd: after the first, third, fifth and so on.

The golden point

The golden point is a variant that changes what happens at deuce: instead of playing advantages, a single point is played and whoever wins it takes the game. The receiving pair chooses which side to receive from, forehand or backhand.

It became popular on the professional circuit because it shortens matches and makes every game tenser. At clubs in Mexico it is very common at retas, americanas and amateur tournaments, but it is not universal. So before you start, agree three things: golden point or advantages, a full third set or a super tie-break, and which local rule applies to the ceiling.

How to settle a doubt without arguing

In a friendly match there is no umpire, so doubts are settled among the four of you:

• Each pair calls the balls on its own side. If you did not see clearly whether it was in, give your opponents the benefit.
• If nobody is sure, replay the point. It is the quickest and fairest way out.
• When there is an argument, check the rules afterwards, not in the middle of the match.

In short

Floor first, wall second. Serve underarm, diagonally and after bouncing the ball. The fence counts after the bounce, but never before. And at deuce, agree in advance whether you play advantages or the golden point. That settles almost every doubt at a reta.